An anonymous call claiming that a bomb had been planted in the Chennai-bound Vaigai Express from Madurai kept security personnel on tenterhooks on Wednesday.
The call, which turned out to be a hoax, delayed the departure of the train from Tiruchi Junction more than an hour and a half. The prank call caused hardship to travellers who alighted from the train upon being alerted by the security personnel to enable them to carry out thorough checks.
Police sources said moments after the train arrived Tiruchi, an anonymous caller rang up the Government Railway Police (GRP) Helpline number 9962 500500 at Chennai from a mobile phone around 9.10 a.m. threatening that a bomb had been planted in the super fast express train.
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The message was immediately conveyed to the GRP at Tiruchi railway station from the master control room at Chennai. The train was stopped and the security personnel at the station asked passengers to get down from the coaches. Personnel of the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) of the city police also descended on the station.
The BDDS of the RPF and city police, besides GRP personnel, jointly checked the entire train with equipment utilised for anti-sabotage missions. Sniffer dogs were also deployed.
After it was clear that there was no explosive substance in any compartment, the passengers were allowed to board the train.
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The sources said as a precautionary measure, three detective dogs of the RPF were sent along with the escort parties in the train up to Chengalpattu Junction.